Helping hand. Vidyadhan scholarships for poverty-hit students to expand reach to 15 States this year

This year, Vidyadhan, a Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiative set up by Kumari Shibulal and SD Shibulal, Co-Founders and Former CEOs of Infosys, will expand its presence in 15 States to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue higher education through funding, mentoring and life skills training.

At a meeting of stakeholders and beneficiaries here on Saturday, SD Shibulal, Trustee of Sarojini Damodaran Foundation (SDF), which spearheads Vidyadhan, said the addition of three new States — Bihar, Jharkhand and Punjab — will open up higher education to more people.

40,000 applications this year

Vidyadhan received a record 40,000 applications for the 1,600 new additional scholarships on offer this year. The number is expected to go up further since the application process is yet to close for some of the States, SD Shibulal said.

The ‘Each One, Teach One,’ model brings sponsors and students together in a transparent and accountable system. One such successful partnership is with digital transformation solutions company UST which doubled its contribution to support more students.

Shibulal added, “I am very glad to see such a partnership between UST and Vidyadhan who are working together to transform the lives of hundreds of children through education.”

Amitabh Kant lauds

Addressing the Saturday event, Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa, said the government, corporates, and individuals, all have a role to play in developing programmes that create social impact.

Vidyadhan beneficiaries have gone on to work at TCS, Infosys, HCL, UST, Bosch, KPMG, MRF, UNISYS, MBB Labs, the government, and the defence forces, among others. Several others are pursuing Master’s education or research in prestigious universities.

Breaking social stereotypes

Vidyadhan girl scholars have also been breaking societal stereotypes by becoming primary providers for their families and becoming role models in their community, said Kumari Shibulal, Managing Trustee, SDF.

Vidyadhan is an idea that an individual can make a difference and that a group of individuals can make a much bigger difference, she added, and she hoped “all the beneficiaries can keep the ‘cycle of giving’ going by helping others when they are in a position of doing so”.

Kumari thanked UST for their belief and support in the Vidyadhan programme even during tough times. She said, “We are fortunate that like-minded people have joined us in this endeavour and there is a visible impact on the ground.”

Key to success

Krishna Sudheendra, CEO of UST, said finding the right implementation partner is key to the success of CSR initiatives. Vidyadhan’s ability to scale fast, as well as the transparency brought in by the zero administrative cost model, provides a comprehensive view of the student beneficiaries.

Sudheendra added, “Our employees have actively volunteered to mentor the Vidyadhan students which strengthens the bond further.”

‘Each one, Teach one’

Archana Vijayan, an MBBS student from the Government Medical College, Kottayam, spoke of her difficult journey to get into a medical college because of her physical disability. “I can proudly say that I will also become a sponsor for Vidyadhan students in the future,” she said.

Meera Rajeevan, National Programme Director of Vidyadhan, spoke about how the student-centric Vidyadhan partner ecosystem delivered value to all stakeholders.

S Ramanand, Trustee, SDF, shared the journey of Vidyadhan over the years while Shruti Shibulal, Trustee, appreciated the role of UST, the Vidyadhan team, volunteers, and the students in building a partnership that has helped in transforming several lives through education.

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